One certificate, many career paths

Instructional designer, first-year experience librarian, chemistry instructor, PhD candidate, consultant—these are just a few of the jobs recent Learning Experience Design Certificate graduates have landed. In a blog post published by the Center for Academic Innovation (CAI) alumni reflect on the meaningful ways in which the certificate program prepared them for their current positions. 

“The certificate program directly helped me get my new job. The community college I am working at is trying to expand their online course options, so I was able to talk about my experiences in the certificate program when interviewing,” said Nicholas Garza who is now an instructor at North Central Michigan College.

Juan Pinto, who is now a doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said the program “helped me identify the research I wanted to pursue and the more specific topics I am interested in. It has also helped me feel much better prepared for more advanced work in educational technology and its design, especially (again) when it comes to research in the field.”

Launched in 2019, the Learning Experience Design Certificate offers current graduate students courses on learning theory, curriculum design, and learning design at the School of Education with authentic design opportunities at the Center for Academic Innovation. The 12-credit certificate equips participants with the foundational knowledge and experience necessary to design innovative and engaging educational experiences in multiple contexts of teaching and learning.